Turbines wrong for Lenox, county
www.berkshireeagle.com 8 September 2011
The town of Lenox is considering the installation of two or more 450-foot-tall wind turbines on the ridgeline of Lenox Mountain. These behemoths will be almost four times larger than the existing fire tower. The blades of 160 feet in length will be brought in by trucks. Has anyone considered the implications of transporting and constructing these large mechanical parts? How much land clearing, road widening, blasting of rock will be needed? How will this project affect existing trails, wildlife habitat, water runoff to reservoirs, and the bird and bat populations once built?
The Berkshires draw people from all parts of the world because of its pristine mountains, but the state has proposed the Berkshires to be a wind turbine mecca with turbines covering the landscape to generate electricity to its towns. Are the incentives to towns that lucrative? Very little of our electricity comes from the use of foreign oil and coal, most of it is generated from hydroelectric plants. Who is building these structures and how much will these companies be reaping after the landscape is marred with these giants?
Ask the town of Lenox how much money it plans to save and at what cost? Ask about noise, light, and vibrations that are produced from the rotating blades. Then ask about alternatives to wind power such as solar which leaves a much smaller footprint on the land.
The time to ask questions is now, before the wind starts blowing.
Are wind turbines a truly “green alternative” and where are the stewards of our beautiful mountains?
REBECCA J. MARZOTTO
Richmond
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/09/08/turbines-wrong-for-lenox-county/